Sol 6.1

  1. عَزيمٌ لا يُسَدُّ عَلَيهِ بابُ

    وَقَلبٌ لا يُفَلُّ لَهُ ذُبابُ

    A firm resolve against which no door is shut,

    And a heart whose blade-tip is never blunted.

  2. مَضى في نائِبات الدَهرِ صَلدا

    فَلَم يُثلَم وَقَد طالَ الضِرابُ

    It passed through time's calamities, hard as rock,

    And was not nicked, though the fighting lasted long.

  3. وَقَد زَرّوا الضُلوعَ عَلى قُلوبٍ

    لَو اِنتَضَيَت لقطّ بِها الرِقابُ

    And they have buttoned their ribs over hearts

    That, if unsheathed, would sever necks.

  4. وَسِرتُ وَمِن كَواكِبِهِ حُلِيٌّ

    عَلَيَّ وَمِن غَياهِبِهِ قرابُ

    And I journeyed, with ornaments from its stars

    Upon me, and a sheath from its deep darkness.

  5. وَلَو بِسِوى الرَشيدِ جَعَلتُ هَديي

    لضلّ الركبُ فيها وَالرِكابُ

    And had I made anyone but al-Rashid my guide,

    Both caravan and mounts would have strayed in that darkness.

  6. مِنَ النَفَرِ الألى طَلَعوا نُجوماً

    فَمِن أَنوائِهِم فينا اِنسِكابُ

    One of the company who rose as stars,

    And from their rain-bearing stars comes a downpour upon us.

  7. إِذا هَزَّتهُم نَغَمُ العَوالي

    فَلَيسَ سِوى النَجيعِ لَهُم شَرابُ

    When the music of the lances stirs them,

    Then their only drink is gore.

  8. وَباءَ فَقُلتُ في الغَبراءِ بُرج

    وَثارَ فَقُلتُ في الخَضراءِ غابُ

    And he settled, so I said: 'A tower upon the dusty earth!'

    And he rose, so I said: 'A forest in the green sky!'

  9. لَقَد عُقِدَت حُباهُ عَلى خلالٍ

    ظُباهُ لا تَهابُ كَما تُهابُ

    His knee-bands are indeed tied round noble qualities;

    His sword-edges do not fear, even as they are feared.

  10. وَطَبَّقَ مفصلَ العَليا بِنَفسٍ

    مَآثِرها تُراثٌ وَاِكتِسابُ

    And he struck true at glory's joint, with a soul

    Whose noble deeds are inherited and earned.

  11. كَأَنَّ عداهُ في الهَيجا ذنوب

    وَصارِمُهُ دُعاءٌ مُستَجابُ

    As though his foes in battle were sins,

    And his sharp sword an answered prayer.

  12. إِلَيكَ أَبا الحُسَينِ رَكِبتُ عَزماً

    يَضيقُ بِرَحبِ مَسعاهُ الطِلابُ

    To you, Abu al-Husayn, I mounted a resolve

    For whose broad course pursuit itself is too narrow.

  13. رَمَت في البَحرِ مِنكَ وَلَم تُعَرِّج

    عَلى أَرضٍ بقيعتها سَرابُ

    It plunged into your sea and did not turn aside

    To a land with a mirage upon its level plain.

  14. وقَد مَرَقَت إِلَيكَ مِنَ الدُجى بي

    أَعاريب تَخبُّ بِها عرابُ

    And out of the darkness sped toward you with me

    Bedouins, borne at a trot by purebred Arabian mounts.

  15. هَفَت بي وَالدُجى يَهفو حَشاهُ

    كَما كَسَرَت عَلى خُززٍ عقابُ

    They swept me along while the heart of darkness fluttered,

    As an eagle swoops, wings folded, upon a male hare.